Surviving and Thriving
by outstretched-desolation
Summary: Wendell has grown used to his unfortunate life. He screws up constantly at his new job and hates it when everyone takes pity on him. Which everyone does, except for Vincent Nigel-Murray. Slash-read because you're cool?- Wendell Bray/Vincent Nigel-Murray


Yeahhhh…

I like Wendell.

So, yeahhhhh…

"So, who is the new intern?" Angela asks, trying to create some sense of conversation, well, other than the dead guy on the table in front of them.

"Dr. Bray. Now can we focus on the deceased?" Brennan says dryly. Jack stands close by, waiting for something.

"Is he cute?" Angela tries to obtain more juicy information.

"Are you asking if his physical attributes make him somewhat attractive? Then, yes. He is very cute." Brennan stands straight, "Dr. Hodgins, you may take what you need until Dr. Bray cares to show up. He is fifteen minutes late"

"Great." Jack steps forward, and with placing a quick kiss on Angela, he gets to work.

Angela scurries after Brennan, "Tell me more about this, Dr. Bray."

Uninterested, "He is twenty two years of age, graduated very slowly, his first name is Wendell."

"Hmm… Wendell. Is he blonde?"

"Yes." Brennan strays off somewhere else and Angela stands excited.

"Angela? What gets you all smiley?" An English voice interrupts Angela's excitement. Both Angela and Vincent walk towards the front of the lab. Vincent remains confused, but follows Angela in a quick pursuit.

"We are going to wait for the new, blonde, intern." Angela finally pipes up. Vincent shrugs his shoulders.

"Brennan says he is cute." Angela speaks again, trying to spark interest in Vincent. She also begins to wonder why he is here. At Angela's words, he actually does, become quite interested.

"Why are you here anyways? You aren't working today."

"I am picking up anything I can, Dr. Brennan is letting me roam around as I please."

Angela didn't respond, for at that moment, a guy came jogging up to the door where they were standing. Vincent eyed him intensely. He was staring in awe of his beautiful features. He had dirty blonde hair, styled up in an intentionally messy quiff. He has soft light blue eyes that seemed tired. He was average in height, but when he reached them, he bent down in a fit of exhaustion.

~Vincent's POV~

Oh my god. Ohmygod. _Oh my god. Ohmygod! _This guy is beautiful, handsome, and hot. Way more than just plain cute. He bent down in front of us and I noticed he was breathing hard.

"Are you okay?" Angela asked him.

"Yeah, I am just late for my first day in the job. I'm sorry, do you know where Dr. Brennan is?" Wendell asked, he seemed worried.

"Sweetie, don't worry, it's not like she is going to fire you. And she is in her office." Angela put a hand on his shoulder and he smiled for a second. And then he ran off.

Angela looked at me, and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" I asked.

"You're blushing." She laughed and I turned away.

Out of a nervous fit, "Did you know the strings on bananas are called phloem bundles?" After I said that random fact, she laughed again and walked away, leaving me an estranged confusion. That guy, Wendell, I have to work with him?

Oh no…

"Mr. Nigel-Murray! What are you still doing here?" Brennan greeted me as I walked in on her observing Wendell in the lab.

"You said I could observe."

Brennan looked like she was intently thinking for a bit, "Okay, stand over there." She pointed to a corner.

Wendell spoke up, "Why only Mr.?" He had a small look of shock on his face, like he didn't mean to actually ask the question.

"I don't have a doctorate yet." I murmured and he looked softly apologetic, but there was a sign of something else.

"Dr. Bray. What can you tell me about this man's injuries?" Brennan asked Wendell, whose hands were slightly shaking out of nerves.

First day with Brennan, ouch.

"Uh, there is a sign of past breaking on his left wrist. Third and fourth rib fractures and…" He paused and shut his eyes.

"Dr. Bray, although those things are true, you missed the most important part." She interrupted, picking up the skull, revealing cracks. The cause of death. He cringed, embarrassed.

"I am sorry, doctor." He muttered.

"I am disappointed. Keep missing things like this and you will be penalized." She stated firmly while walking out. Wendell held his head down in shame, arms crossed across his chest, eyes closed shut.

"Are you okay?" I asked half-heartedly, not sure if I should just leave.

"Yeah, I just suck at the only job I have ever had." He said, following Brennan and walking out, leaving me alone. First job? Why would his first job be this of all places? Seems a bit difficult if you ask me.

~Wendell~

I suck. First day at my first job and I already screw up. I kind of had coming, for this is one of the hardest jobs one can hold.

This isn't the first time I have screwed up in my life. My childhood from age 14 was a hard time, only because I am terrible at making decisions.

Freshman year in high school and I was getting perfect grades for the first semester when I began to realize some things. It all started when my best friend got a girlfriend. Thoughts started springing up and I just found myself not wanting a girlfriend, but a boyfriend instead. I didn't really cope with it well, and only knew for sure for less than a week before I blurted it out to my parents.

Not very dramatically, I ended up on the streets that night. Support wasn't in my parent's vocabulary. Luckily, they both worked, so I was able to come home sometimes and recover from nights sleeping in an alleyway. I didn't go hungry for a while.

Until they moved.

Finishing my first day of work, I collected my few things and walked for a long time away from the lab, not having a car to drive me there. Nearly three hours of walking until I reached the park where I lived. No jobs means no money. Which also means no home. The reason I live so far away is because I can't risk anyone seeing me homeless. I would become an obvious joke and nobody would take me seriously.

By the time I got there, it was already nearing midnight. I plopped myself on a usual bench and looked around. I saw three other people. Two of them being a couple. One look at me and the guy saddened at the sight of me sleeping on a bench. The girl looked at me sadly. Like I was pathetic. There was another homeless guy, who I have been in presence with for a few years now. We have never actually talked before.

I fell asleep uncomfortably not ten minutes later, not looking forward to the job I have to go to that I will most likely be late for again.

I was late again.

One of my coworkers, Angela, was waiting for me again outside the lab.

"You're late again." I looked at her, saying 'duh' mentally.

"Sorry, Brennan is more than angry. You better get in there."

"Great. Screwing up, yet again." I said, earning another look of sympathy from someone. A look I seem to be getting a lot lately. I ran into the lab and Dr. Brennan was standing impatiently beside the same victim as yesterday. I couldn't help but notice a lack of a certain English man.

"Dr. Bray. Finally decide to show up?"

"Sorry, I-"

"Your excuses don't matter, Dr. Bray. I told you your lack of incompetence would earn you a penalty. You can go home. I will see you when it's your week to work again."

I just nodded in shame and slowly trotted out of the lab.

"What happened?" I heard a British voice say.

I turned and saw the same intern as yesterday standing there, "What?"

He looked sorrowful, "You are kind of, well, crying."

I suddenly felt the moisture on my face, wiped it off quickly and put a smile on my face.

"And why are you leaving?"

"I was asked to. By Dr. Brennan." He did something I wasn't expecting, he didn't give me a look of sorrow.

"D-Did you know public speaking is feared more than death?" He stuttered.

I smiled and shook my head. "No. I didn't."

"Well it is." He looked away.

"I will see you later." I said, walking away as he waved.

On the walk home, those tears returned.

~Vincent~

"I saw that. Sweetie, that was bad." Angela came up to me.

"Yeah, I know."

"You think he's hot too, don't you?" She asked, smiling. That's what I loved about this job. Nobody judged.

"How do you not. Have you seen him?" I chuckled.

"Do you think he could be gay?"

"I wish." I shook my head and walked in the direction of Dr. Brennan.

"Why did you ask Dr. Bray to leave?" I asked her when I reached her. I looked down at the victim.

"He was late again."

"Did he have a reason?"

"Yes, but I didn't listen."

"Why not?"

"Because it doesn't matter, now focus on working." I began to observe the dead pile of bones and I started to wonder.

What was his reason for being late, twice? It didn't seem like he had a car either, he was always walking up to the doors. I noticed one other thing as well.

He was wearing the same shirt he wore yesterday.

"Angela, there's something going on with Wendell." I talked to her at the end of the day.

"What do you mean?" She stopped walking to her car.

"Well, he was wearing the same clothes he was wearing yesterday and I am pretty sure he doesn't have a car. He also said this is the first job he has ever owned."

She didn't reply, but she was thinking. Angela always was the one who, alongside me, jumped to conclusions. We stood there, both looking at the ground.

"Next time he comes in for work, I will try talking to him." She smiled.

~Wendell~

I was tired of my stupidity. I was also slightly hungry, but I don't have any money at the moment. I am getting paid barely anything and I now I only get paid for one day this week. Maybe I should just explain to Temperance why I am late. I could beg her not to tell anyone else. Sounds like it could work, or she could fire me because I wouldn't be able to my job.

She hasn't even found out I don't have an actual doctorate either. She let the British guy work without one, maybe I don't need one either. Or she could fire me for lying. I just have average intelligence about these things because I used to spend all my time googling things at the public library.

I should have just gotten a job at McDonald's like a normal person.

I am sitting on the same bench. The other homeless guy sleeping. I wasn't even sitting ten minutes before two other people came walking up to me. I quickly noticed them as the couple I saw the night before. The girl was short with brown hair and the guy was a lot taller.

"Can I help you?" I asked, trying not to sound rude.

"Hi! I am Daisy. This is my boyfriend, Lance-A-Lot." She said a bit too enthusiastically.

He blushed, "It's just Lance."

"We were kind of upset at you being homeless and all and we were talking yesterday and realized we have a friend." I looked down, embarrassed, when they mentioned my poor status.

"We found you a place to stay." Lance interrupted Daisy and my mouth kind of fell in shock at the mention of a home. Something of which I haven't had for eight years.

"You don't even know me…" I murmured.

"So?" Daisy questioned, standing up and motioning for me to do the same. They led me to their car a couple blocks away.

"How do I know you aren't leading me to my death?"

"You don't." Daisy laughed. I smiled nervously.

"We aren't though. If you want to know more about us them we can tell you. We can tell you about the friend as well."

"That would be nice, yes." We sat in the car, but he didn't start it.

"I am Lance Sweets, I am a psychologist that works for the FBI. I determine whether or not people are capable of committing serious crimes."

"I am Daisy Wick. I am an intern for Dr. Temperance Brennan at the Jeffersonian."

I nearly choked on air when she mentioned the Jeffersonian. Oh god, she knows what I look like. If she sees me working she could tell everyone. I unlocked my door and jumped out and ran for it. I felt like a complete loser at this moment. I ignored their shouts, trying to get me to come back but they soon faded away anyways.

What were the chances that when something good almost happens to me, it goes all wrong?

One hundred percent. Because that's the kind of life I was destined for.

Comment, review, whatevs.

The fandom is small so I will take what I can get.

Peace.


End file.
